Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Point Iroquois Lighthouse

Point Iroqouis

This lighthouse is about 20 miles west of our house on Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior.  We take all of our company here.  

Today was a much quieter day weather wise.  Just some snow flurries.  The winds were calm. 

Tomorrow Jim and I are headed to Petoskey to do some shopping.  Joann's has Cricut cartridges on sale for $39.99.  Our Joann's here in Sault Ste. Marie won't carry them.  Also need to stock up on some makings for simple meals. 

We went into town this afternoon to take back some carpet samples and to see how much it would cost for new dining room and hallway carpeting.  It wasn't as bad as we thought so after the new year we will order it.  Our carpet in the dining room has been down 30 years (ever since we have lived here).  While it looks good on the surface, it was rubberbacked and glued down and now is all rumply. 

Now about my card.  All materials are CTMH except for the stamp and that is Hardware Stampin' in Fremont Mi.  They make a lot of lighthouse stamps.  CS is Bamboo, White and New England Ivy.  Stripped paper is Basic Grey's Wassail Mantle.   Oh the red ribbon is from Joann's, but the photo hanger is from CTMH. 

Better go finish making my list.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Spring Is Coming

100_2275

The frog stamp and A Warm Hello sentiment are from Hero Arts.  The stripped paper is My Mind's Eye.   Orange dragonfly is a button from Joann's.  I colored the frog image with Prisma Color Pencils.  The spiral clip is from my stash.

 

This past week has been crazy as far as the weather goes.  The Saturday before Christmas there was a storm.  We didn't get too much.  The next couple of days were snowy and windy.  Christmas Day was relatively calm.  Friday it rained (on top of two feet of snow).  Saturday there was dense fog.  Sunday morning we had extremely high winds with a couple of inches of snow making blizzard like conditions at times.  A tree fell across the power lines in our yard so our neighbor hood was without power for 4 hours.  Thankfully we have a generator.   Tonight I can hear the wind howling.  Tonight I was making supper and was out of a needed ingredient so Jim went to the corner store a mile away.  On the way home he and a deer collided. It was dark and the deer ran away and he couldn't see any damage.  But will check it out in the daylight.  I have been trying to make cards ahead so when I get my thumb surgery in two weeks, I'll have cards to give out for birthdays etc.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas

The following link is a really cool youtube video of the first Christmas.  The song O Holy Night plays in the background.


O Holy Night - Nativity

This is the best Christmas wish I could send you….. Merry Christmas

This puts Christ back in Christmas.

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/v/Z_ypUnnqr8Y&autoplay=0

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Oh, Deer and Dear

 100_2261I watched this little fellow for quite a while this afternoon  He is in our front yard just off the deck steps.  At one point I thought that  he was going to come up on the deck, which is 3 steps from the ground.  The deer are fun to watch but they can be destructive. 

We had our Christmas celebration yesterday with our grandson, Sam, and his girlfriend, Sam D.  They left last night for100_2257 her parents house 2 hours south of the bridge.  There was a storm forecast with heavy snow and blowing and drifting.  Sam D. graduated Dec 17 with a degree in Criminal Justice, now she needs to find a job.  Sam has at least two more years of college.  He is pursuing a degree in psychology.   We had some snow but not a lot.  It was supposed to be a lot worse farther south. 

Now I need to get busy and get my Christmas cards out.  They are mostly made and I have a simple design if I need more. 

I am scheduled for thumb replacement surgery Jan 12.  Since my right thumb  will be out of commission for about 2-3 months I would like to get as many cards made ahead as possible. 

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Card from Last Year

red wreath card

The red cardstock and plaid paper came from Joann's.  I cut a 2 1/2 inch circle, then punched out a a circle with a 1 1/4 punch.  The script is Hero Arts.  The Merry Christmas is from CTMH and is the center of the bigger circle.  The two ribbons are from Joann's.  The flower is from Got Flowers.  Don't remember where the brad is from.  This card should be a lot easier to make with the advent of the Cuttlebug and/or Cricut.  I used a 8 1/2 x 11 size paper and cut the 11 inch down to 7 1/4.  It will fit in a standard size 10 envelope.

We have been having some very stormy weather.  Yesterday I was supposed to go to Alpena (130 miles south of here) for an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, but the entire state of Michigan was stormy so I am going to try for next Monday.  I have a Christmas list from my granddaughter, hopefully I'll get one from my grandson this weekend.  I would like to get my shopping done next week.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Just Paper

noelThis card was just layering the paper.  CS is CTMH Sweet Leaf, then comes Paper Pizazz Brown Diamonds.  The music paper is  Christmas Carol Music by Flair Designs.  The scene is Vintage  Holiday Postcards by Flair and is backed with some green paper from  CTMH Creative Basics Evensong Paper Packet.  Gold ribbon is from Joann's.  I used Diamond Stickles on the berries.  Shepherds are colored with PrismaColor Colored Pencils.  Card size is 5 by 7.

Yesterday was quite eventful.  I saw an ad on TV saying that Wal-Mart would honor competitors ads.  I probably knew this but just never had an occasion to test it out.  Joann's had the Personal Cricut on sale for $99.99.  Hmm I'm thinking if Wal-Mart would  honor that I would get a Cricut on Thursday when we went in for dinner.  I called my friend to see if I could borrow her Joann's flyer as mine hadn't come yet.  She asked if she could get more than one and I told her I didn't know.  She called Wal-Mart and she could but she had to bring a friend with her.  She wanted 3 for her granddaughters.  We met at Wal-Mart after we got done eating and picked up the Cricut.  Then came the fun.   The inexperienced check out young man got all flustered.  The manager came and we explained that  another manager said we could buy them and it wasn't the one that Wal-Mart had on sale on Friday.  It seemed like it took forever but it didn't really.  My friend and her husband each bought one and Jim bought one for them and they paid us back. 

Today I spent the day in my little spot cleaning and making room for my new toy.  I did make a flower.   And then I went out to my greenhouse and made a winter  hanging basket.  Tomorrow I plan to spend all day in my spot making cards. 

Time to start dinner.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Legend of the Candy Cane

candy cane

This card is pretty self explanatory. The stamp is Inky Antics. If you click on the card it will make it bigger and you can then read the words.

Sam and Sam D are at her folks for Thanksgiving.  We had ours with them this past Sunday.  Jim and I are going out to eat.  We haven't done that in a long time.  We must lead boring lives because not much is going on around here. 

Friday, November 21, 2008

Cheerful Cardinal

cardinal2 This is one of the cards I made today.  CS is cranberry and New England Ivy and white.  BT is from Creative Basics Evensong.  The cardinal is from Stamping Up "A Flower for All Seasons".  Sentiment is Penny
Black and says festive sprightly joyous lively cheerful.  The brad is a red tree.  Also used circle Nestabilities.   I colored the image with Prisma Color pencils.  I colored the center of the flowers with yellow and it didn't show up so I used some Diamond Stickle. I mounted the cardinal onto the card with foam tape.

It has been snowing all day and I spent a good share of it in my little corner.  I worked on laundry, did the treadmill and Nordic Trac.  Hope the weather is good tomorrow as a friend and I want to go to a Stamping Up Stamp a Stack and a craft show.  If not you'll find me in my little corner.  Right now it desperately needs to be cleaned up.  I got one counter cleaned off before I came upstairs.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Thanksgiving

ThanksgivingThanksgiving is just a little more than a week away. I wanted to try the Cuttlebug idea that Kathi had done a week or so ago where you run your background paper through the Cuttlebug at the same time you do the cardstock.  CS colors are New England Ivy and Barn Red.  Background paper is from a retired set of fall CTMH papers.  I stamped the Hero Arts turkey on a piece of scrap punched out with a       2 1/2 inch Marvy punch.  Image is stamped with Pepperwood and I colored the beak, feet and throat.  Brown ribbon is from Joann's. Cuttlebug folder is Autumn.

Today was a typical day in Eastern Upper Michigan.  I e-mailed a friend to see if she wanted to walk when she got done at school, then called a friend about a church matter and she said they had a good six inches of snow (we had one) and then my friend e-mailed me back and said that there was at least 8 inches of snow in town.  Needless to say we didn't walk.  I used my pedal machine while watching the end of the news and Wheel. 

Got my shopping list ready for tomorrow after I have my mammogram at 9am.  Need to lay in supplies for Thanksgiving. 

Friday, November 14, 2008

Rudolph

rudolph Here's another idea using the Creative Basics paper pack from CTMH.  Rudolph and the saying are from Inky Antics.  I used Cranberry Red to back Rudolph.  You can't see from the photo but his nose is a red acrylic.  The saying says "Rudolph with his nose so bright, sends you reindeer kisses, to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I was in the 4th grade when Gene Autry recorded the song. It is the 2nd best selling Christmas song.  The number one best seller is White Christmas recorded by Bing Crosby and they are the only two that I like to hear sing their respective songs.    

I ran out of Cranberry Red so have to put this paper pack on hold for a few days.   A local CTMH consultant has some but she is out of town and won't be back until Monday. 

Jim and I walked in the woods today.  It was so peaceful and quiet and 50 degrees.   Tomorrow starts firearms deer season so the woods will be off limits for a while. 

The radiologist's report came back that my foot is completely healed, but now arthritis has set in so that is most likely the cause of my pain plus we did an awful lot of walking this past summer. 

It is time to think about supper.  Later.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A Better Photo

This is the card I made the other day and it didn't photograph well. wreath This card was inspired by two wreath cards.  One  on Kathi's blog and one on  Gina K's blog.  The stamp is Serendipity.  CS is New England Ivy and Cranberry from CTMH.  I stamped the wreath in New England Ivy.  The berries are red stickles.  The word is from the September Incentive from CTMH.  Ribbon is from Joann's.  Striped paper is Creative Basics Evensong. 

It is pouring down rain, but at least it didn't rain when we went to visit our friend in the hospital.  She is doing great and most likely will come home tomorrow.  Tomorrow I am not leaving the house.  I need to get caught up on my bank statements, church address book etc.  And of course there are always cards to make.  I do have a good start on my Christmas cards.  

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

90th Birthday Card

FloydA gentleman in our church turned 90 over the weekend and this is the card I made for him.  It uses CTMH Vintage Travel Paper Pack 1.  The textured cardstock I believe is from CTMH.  The inside is a lighter shade of green.  The stamp is from Stampin' Up. Size is 6 x 6.  

I made some Christmas cards using the Creative Basics Evensong paper pack.  Will post them tomorrow.  I need to get to bed early as a friend and I are going to Petoskey to visit a 76 year old lady from our church who had knee replacement on Monday.  She told me before her surgery that Lonnie (another friend who had knee replacement surgery) and I were her inspiration. 

Kathi, I tried to read the Mitford Series but just couldn't get into them.  However there is a new book out about Father Tim going to Mississippi and getting involved in a mystery.  I'd like to check that one out.  Have you read anything by Laurine Snelling?  She has written a series of books about a Norwegian family coming to North Dakota.  That one is called Red River of the North.

Monday, November 10, 2008

You Are Tagged

Kathi Carlson tagged me tonight.  I think that is fun.  Here are the rules.

1. Get the book on your nightstand (or whatever book you are currently reading).
2. Open it to page 56 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next couple of sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
4. Do not go and find your favorite book, it has to be the one you are reading now!
5. Tag 5 other people to do the same.

I have two books on my nightstand that I am reading but one is the kind you can pick up, read a chapter and lay it down for a week or so.  The other one is The Sunroom by Beverly Lewis.  It is set in Pennsylvania in 1952 and about a 12 year old girl, whose mother is in the hospital dying of cancer.  I can relate to the girl because I was 12 in 1952.  Here are a few sentences starting with the 5th sentence.  "Bye, Mommy."  Daddy was interested in talking to her more privately.  He went into the kitchen and turned off the light, so Emily and I headed upstairs to bed.  "We're going to Aunt Mimi's house this weekend," said my sister as we undressed.

I am tagging Frances, Jennie, Laura, Kim and Tobi .

Thanks Kathi, for tagging me.  I read 90 Minutes in Heaven a couple of years ago.  A powerful story. 

I have been working on updating our church's address book.  It is a looseleaf 5 x8 format.  I first did it in 2006 and now we have new families.  It is a simple format with family picture, address & phone number.  Our church is small (about 35 families) so I just print out the pages on my color printer. 

It has been a busy week.  Last Thursday Jim and I had our physicals.  I asked the x ray tech to take an x ray of my left foot.  In Jan of 2007 I broke the 5th metarsel bone and lately my foot has been hurting off and on.  Doc looked at the x ray and said "I'm sending this to the radiologist.  You might have re-broken it." All I could see was what looked like arthritis to me.  Then today the Doctor's office called with the results of my lab work and the nurse said everything is fine except my uric acid levels are high.  I have too much protein in my system. 

My card I made didn't photograph well and even after tweaking it was still fuzzy so will post it tomorrow.  Until then.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

An Idea from Down Under

I saw a card with a penguin posted October 30 on Stamp Owl's blog.  Since  we don't have penguins in polarbearNorth America I used a polar bear.   CS is CTMH Outdoor Denim and Robin's Egg Blue (retired).  The polar bear is from the Chillin' set that CTMH had.  Punch is Stampin'Up's Word Window.  I used red stickles on the scarf and diamond stickles on the snow.  The sentiment is Penny Black.  I used the Spots and Dots Cuttlebug folder and Nestabilities.

Today was a great day in Northern Michigan.  It was 65 degrees out.  A friend and I did get our walk in but otherwise I was in the basement most of the day getting laundry done and cleaning my crafting area. 

Last Thursday Jim and I were outside cutting back the perennials and pruning some bushes.  On one small branch, about half the size of a pencil I had to exert a little pressure and that caused the arthritis in my right thumb to really act up.  I tried to ignore it but it didn't get any better and I couldn't even cut back the perennials.  Finally I said to Jim that I was going in to call my orthopedic surgeon.  I have an appointment Dec 1.  Most likely I will have surgery.  I am trying to get a lot of cards made ahead.  The dr and I have talked about surgery.  He has given me two cortisone shots and while they work it isn't good to keep getting them. 

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Sunshine

Except for a little bit this afternoon, we haven't seen the sunflower 2sun in three days.  This is my bit in making some sunshine.  Cardstock, markers are all CTMH. CS are Sunflower, Sunny Yellow and Citrus Leaf.  Makers used are Pepperwood, Sunflower and Clover Meadow.  I used 3M mounting tape to pop up the flowers.   Stamp is Penny Black.  I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug and Oval Nestabilities. 

Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 50's, so hope to finish up the outside yard work.  Still have one coneflower in bright pink bloom. I have lots of projects to keep me busy inside the house for winter.  We are trying to do one extra thing a day. 

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Simple Card

cardinalThis card was done using Cuttlebug's Snowflake die, the cardinal was stamped in Cranberry and is from CTMH's Season of Splendor.  The branch is stamped with New England Ivy and is from Hero Arts.  I embossed the pinecones.  They look green in the photo but are really brown. Cardstock is white and Cranberry.  The brads are from Joann's.   I got the idea from a blog but I don't remember which one.  It featured a blue bird from Inkadinkado.

It was a quiet Sunday for Jim and I as Sam and his girlfriend went to a college hockey game.  Sam D. (girlfriend) is usually here the entire weekend and on Sunday afternoons we play table games.  I took a nap, watched Skate America and surfed the net. 

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Stamping Between Loads of Laundry and Exercising

My craft area is a total disaster, but I had fun.  green leavesThought I would post before supper.  Cardstock is DCWV Earth Tones  Striped paper is Hallowhimsy by Imaginisce.  I think the small scraps are Pansy Purple and New England Ivy.  Don't know where the cream color is from.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession.  I stamped the leaves (Hero Arts) with Pansy Purple, Sunflower, Autumn TerraCotta, and Sunny Yellow.   The leaf button is from Joann's and I used CTMH Natural Hemp. 

The sun is trying to shine.  Got up this morning and it was shining, then it rained in the middle of the afternoon.  I didn't do anything today other than a mountain of laundry and stamping.  Now I need to get my stamping area cleaned and my cards organized.  Mostly I made fall cards but did do one winter card.  I had to wrestle the computer away from Sam and told him I wouldn't be long.  Now he is looking over my shoulder.  LOL.  That's okay because I need to make a dent in the living room before starting supper.

Friday, October 24, 2008

No Stamping Required

Here is a very simple anniversary card made with CTMH's Heart of Winter  paper pack from 2007 (I think)anniversary.  I used some dew drops and you can't see it in the photo but on white space of the purple flower I used Stampin' Up's 2 Way glue and diamond glitter.

 

Tomorrow is not supposed to be a  nice day so I am planning on spending a lot of time stamping and doing laundry.  They are side by side in the basement.  Gas is down to $2.99 in our neck of the woods. 

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Paper...Too Pretty

As Kathi said in one of her posts some paper is too pretty to cover  up. oak leaf That's what I thought with this paper.  I have had it for a long time.  It is from PSX.  All I did was put it on some cardstock and outlined the top leaf and embossed it.  I put natural   hemp in the middle.  The buttons are CTMH. 

Today the Good Samaritan struck again.  I went outside this afternoon to put away some  pots that I still haven't taken care of and saw our neighbor and his dog in his oversized golf cart sitting across the road on our property.  So I walked over to see if was all right.  He has had two strokes and sometimes get confused.  He said that Jim had said he could have the pile of wood but he couldn't pick it up.  I told him he could still have the pile of wood and that I would go get Jim.  Jim came right out and cut up the wood until he ran out of gas for the chain saw. 

It was a nice sunny day here and this afternoon went for a walk in the woods.  I love the sound and feel of leaves crunching under my feet.  The leaves are mostly off the trees.  Sunday snow is predicted.  Now while I like winter, I don't like the in between stage when we get sloppy snow.  If we are going to get snow it needs to be white and fluffy. 

Monday, October 13, 2008

My Take on Kathi's Card

purple punchOver the weekend Kathi posted  a card using an EK Success punch and this is my version of the card.  Card stock is olive and spring iris.  Striped paper is Die Cutswith a View.  Ink, buttons and waxy flax are hydrangea.   Punch is EK Success.  Sentiment is from Hero Arts.   

 

It was a beautiful day here in Upper Michigan almost 80 degrees.  Tomorrow that is all to change as it is only going to be in the 50's.   Over the weekend I got my potting shed all cleaned out and ready for next spring.  Today I neatened up my half of the garage.  Also cut back some of my water plants.  The flowers in my garden are still doing okay so am leaving them until we have a frost, which we usually have had by now. 

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Rain and Sun

Today it was raining one minute and sun shiny the next. pumpkin roll For this card I layered New England Ivy, Outdoor Denim and Autumn TerraCotta and Colonial White on tan cardstock.  The pumpkin is from PSX, the sentiment from CTMH SOTM for Sept.  The row of pumpkins is from Stampin' Up.  All were stamped in Autumn TerraCotta.   I used a brass photo hanger from CTMH with an orange ribbon from Jo-Ann's.

I finally got my clothes closet cleaned out today and I can even shut the doors.  LOL.  And my shoes are on the closet floor, not taking up space around our bedroom or living room or where ever I happen to take them off.  In between the rain, Jim and his buddy Phil went golfing and didn't get rained on.  Tomorrow is another all day in Petoskey.  So I am going to bed early.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunflower

SunflowerIt wasn't a nice day for going outside so I cleaned my craft area and made a couple of cards.  CS colors for this are Autumn TerraCotta, Barn Red, Olive and Colonial White.    The background paper is some old CTMH paper that I stamped the small flower from the Treasure Life SOTM in olive and autumn terracotta.  The pot of sunflowers is Stampin' Up's A Flower for All Seasons and I colored it with Prisma Colored pencils.  The sentiment is from Treasure Life.  The flowers are Spare Parts by Paper Studio and I used a bronze brad in the middle.  Smaller circle is a punch and the larger circle is a Nestability.

 

Tomorrow is bill paying and day and in light of the economy, I'm glad that I have money to pay the bills.  I bought a new bulletin board for my craft area.  The one I had was dark brown cork and the new one is very light colored, sure does brighten up my area.   The leaves are turning and should be at their peak this weekend.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I Got It Back

This afternoon I went to my spot to see what I could come up with.fall table  I had an idea, looked at my pumpkin stamps to see what I had and saw this Penny Black stamp from a few years back. I stamped it with VersaMark and chalked it.  CS colors are Autumn TerraCotta, Barn Red and Olive from CTMH.  The piece I stamped on was just a scrap that I had in my stash.  Sentiment is from the Sept Stamp of the Month and was stamped with Olive.  Embellishments are CTMH.

Yesterday was extremely busy as we left here at 8:25 am and returned at 6:40 pm.  Our Living with Arthritis class was first on the agenda.  It is interesting but basically we already know the stuff.  Then it was lunch time, a quick trip to Wal-Mart and off to PT.  I think that tomorrow will be my last visit for a month.  Jeff asked how I was doing as far as getting better and I said 85%.  I have a bunch of exercises to do at home which take about 45-60 minutes to do.  I dropped Jim off at home and went into the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) to pick up a prescription.  I go to PT in Petoskey which is 75 miles south.  Sam and Sam are here.  Samantha was sick last night so tonight Sam took her to our Urgent Care Clinic.  She had symptoms of kidney infection but doesn't have that.  She could have a touch of food poisoning from eating seafood.  It was 75 degrees here today.  Microwave just went off so will go and finish getting super.  It is almost time for Survivor. 

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Where Did It Go?

After a nice walk in the woods I went to my little spot in the basement and I just 100_2160didn't have it.  I made this card but just couldn't get it together for another one.  I am very tired.  This card uses CTMH's September stamp of the month.  I embossed it with Personal Stamp Exchange Verdigris.  The stripe paper I do believe is from Stampin' Up.  And for the ovals I used the Nestabilities.   It doesn't show up in the picture but the embossing has gold flecks in it.

This morning our former pastor called to chat and in the course of the conversation I mentioned to him that a senior lady was having a problem with skin cancer.  This afternoon that very same lady called me to tell me that I was an answer to prayer.  This morning at 4AM she prayed that she could talk to Pastor Steve.  He called her after he hung up from talking to us.  She was so excited to be able to talk to him.  And I feel very honored that I had a part in it. 

Thursday, September 18, 2008

A Journey

trainI loved this set when I saw it in the Stampin' Up catalog.  The cardstock is Autumn Terracotta , Ponderosa Pine and Colonial White.  Ink color is Brillance Pearlescent  Crimson. The striped paper is Pixie Sticks by HallowWhimsy.  I think that I trimmed the photo a little too much as some of the autumn terracotta got cut off at the top. 

Tuesday I laid on the couch all day sleeping and reading.  Wednesday I felt like a human again and went to PT.  Today I have been going like a house afire, cleaning and rearranging books and video tapes in our bedroom.  I am getting a stack of books ready for the community library.  Sam's girlfriend, Samantha, is coming out for the weekend and another male student.  Samantha comes every weekend but Josh doesn't so even though both have been here before decided that I would make the house a little clean.  It usually has that very lived in look.  Tomorrow is another PT day.  I have been only going once a week but now and for through Oct 3, I'll be going twice a week.  I think it is helping as my back wasn't sore when I got done with the cleaning. 

Monday, September 15, 2008

A Leola Card

I bought this paper over weekend, because I thought paperit was so pretty.  And I was wishing I was into scrapbooking more.  When I was showing all my goodies to Sam and his girlfriend, he said "That looks like a Leola  (our granddaughter)card."  So I made a long card that fits in a #10 size envelope.  The paper is really prettier in person.  The background is white with grey lines.  For my card I took the left side (as you are looking at the paper) and made a long card that would fit into a # 10 envelope.  The paper is Basic Grey Sultry Uptown.

 

leolaAgain I couldn't get the card to photograph well.  I stamped the frog out of Citrus Leaf and used pop dots to make him stand out.  The water lily I colored with Watermelon.  And the dragonfly I used a blue Prismacolor pencil.  The stamped dragonfly is from CTMH and I used Watermelon and Black.  The sentiment (hello from the heart) is stamped with Watermelon and is one of the new $1 acrylic stamps I bought over the weekend.  On the flower at the top I used Stampin' Up's 2 way glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter. 

 

Today we had nice sunny skies and we went for a walk in the woods.  The trees are just beginning to turn colors.  We live on one of the prettiest roads for color change.  We only had an inch of rain here while we were gone but where we were downstate got up to 10 inches.  And it rained until we got to the Mackinac Bridge.  One of the neat things I got was Glue Dots in dispenser like scotch tape.  I had never seen that before and it said new.  The dispenser will take up a lot less room than the dots on a roll.  Think that I will go make a cup of tea and curl up with a good book.  Feels like I am coming down with something.  Later

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Weekend Adventure

Friday we left home for Saginaw and shopping. Saturday we had lunch with my cousins in Oxford an hour south of Saginaw. Our motel is right next to Hobby Lobby. After we checked in I said to Jim that I was going to Hobby Lobby and to expect me for two hours (I was back in 30 min). I went up and down all the scrapbooking isles and bought a few small items but the things that I wanted were out of stock i.e Cuttlebug folders and Nestabilities. Then I hit Joann's and decided to go back the next day as I had left my coupons in my purse in the motel room. Michael's scrapbooking department was pathetic. My next stop was Family Christian Bookstore to get a new Bible. Everytime we get a new pastor they seem to use a different version of the Bible. I have several versions but there is a new one out called English Standard Version and that it what our new pastor uses. After we got back from having lunch with my cousins we stopped at Joann's and I bought some of those $1 acrylic stamps and even a block for a buck and then I got some new chalk ink pads. After having a piece of pumking pie at Bob Evan's I wanted to stop at Hobby Lobby and look at their $1 acrylic stamps, didn't find them but they did have a supply of Cuttlebug folders and Nestabilities; so I got two of each. Now we are in our room for the night. Tomorrow we head for home. Hope I can do some stamping on Monday.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

A Stamping Day

Saw a card on a blog and thought it was really neat but the only lighthousecolor I had that matched was Outdoor Denim.  Didn't have the wolf stamp either, or the navy stripe but I liked the card so this is what I came up with.  I used white cardstock for the base of my card, Outdoor Denim and the stripe is Backyard "My Journey" from Bohemia.  The striped paper is reversible so used the green side for backing behind the lighthouse stamp which is from Stamping Up.  I stamped the image in Outdoor Denim and distressed the edges.  There are three navy brads on the blue but they don't show up too well in the photo. 

Today we made 5 cards with our CTMH consultant and I spent a group of money getting cardstock and a couple of paper packets etc.  I really like the September Stamp of the Month.  We also made a snowman with the November SOTM.  Tonight the temp is dipping into the 30's.  I put our winter comforter on the bed and washed the summer one.   Tomorrow we are headed to Petoskey, 75 miles south of here for PT and the arthritis clinic.  And then of course shopping at Super Wal-Mart and checking out Ben Franklin Crafts.  In November Super Joann's is opening and they are supposed to have a really great scrapbooking/cardmaking section.

Monday, September 8, 2008

I Couldn't Resist


Last Friday a big order from Stampin Up arrived. A friend and I put our orders together and were able to get the Level 2 Hostess set which is Serene Spring. It has the bunny and a bird on a watering can I think. Anyway the bunny is stamped with CTMH Desert Sand and colored with Prismacolor pencils. It is layered on CTMH Chocolate that I ran through the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder. Then I mounted that on a Carousel Note Card from Stamping Up. The note cards come with chocolate envelopesI used a 1/16 punch to put in the holes. And to finish off the card I used an antique copper photo holder and some green ribbon that was in my stash.

We just got a call saying the interest rate on our home mortgage was going up. Very interesting since our house has been free and clear for many years. Last week the temps were in the 80's. This week they are in the 60's and rainy. Tomorrow our CTMH consultant is coming-she has us make 4 0r 5 cards using the newest stamps. I don't that many stamp sets I want besides the Stamp of the Month and the Cardinal ( I think it is called Serene Season) but I do want a bunch of cardstock and things like that.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Pumpkin Patch

I Think I made this card at the tail end of last fall.  The stamp is from Serendipity pumpkinStamps.  I used some brown scraps, vellum and a cream color.  I wrapped the gold wire around the paper piercer.  All the pieces are mounted on white cardstock.

We got wakened up at 7:10 am with a distress call from a divorced lady whose car wouldn't start and she needed to get to work.  Could Jim come and give her a jump?  He jumped it three times but the car wouldn't keep a charge so not only did he take her 2o miles to work but he went out of his way to pick up her daughter and take to college in the opposite direction he needed to go.  The day did get better.  We went for our three mile walk and got it in before it started to rain.  We got sprinkled on a tad.  The weatherman said we could get up to three inches tonight. It was cold and damp in the house so I turned the furnace on low to take the dampness out of the air.  I took a nap, have my checkbook balanced.  The statement came today and after the trouble I had last time because I let it go for three months I wasn't doing that again.  Besides we are  helping our grandkids with college expenses so had to know that the finances were up to date.  I read some of the required reading for the arthritis class and did my exercises for my therapy session.  I have six exercises to do, three of them I did when I had my knees replaced so they were easy.  The two pelvic exercises are little tricky and I don't quite have them down.  The last one is called the piriformis stretch and it helps keep the hips in line, and I don't have any trouble doing that one.   Think I'll go work on the church bulletin.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

It's My Back--Not My Butt

Today I'm doing things a little backward.  My card will be at the end of this post.

This morning we went to the arthritis class.  It was quite interesting and we have homework to do.  Some reading and then we had to do an action plan.  Our action plan was what we have been doing--walking 2-3 miles 3 times a week.  We had time for a quick lunch then it was to my therapy session.  After asking me a jillion questions and watching me walk and do a couple of other things Jeff, my therapist, determined that I have an inflamed sacroiliac.  He poked and proded and stretched and gave me some exercises to do and set up an appointment for next week.  I am pooped so after posting my card I'm going to go sit in my easy chair with moist heat and most likely fall asleep.

carI made this card this past spring with CTMH Vintage Travel Level One paper packet.  The stamp is from Stamping Up and I stamped it with Pepperwood from CTMH.  The green cardstock is most likely from a fall pack of paper from Joann's.  The jute I used on the photo hangers is the real thing and I just pulled off a couple of strands.  Til next time.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Two New Toys

Last week I ordered a set of Prisma Colored Pencils and Oval Nestabilities from All That Scraps and they came today.  I used both on this card.  I can apple2see that I need to order some plain oval Nestabilities.   I used Creative Memories cutting system but I'm sure it would be much easier with the Nestabilities.  Cardstock is New England Ivy, Barn Red, and Colonial White.  I popped up the oval with pop dots.  The navy ribbon was a scrap that I had in my drawer.  Stamp is from Stamping Up. Photo hangers are pewter from CTMH.

Today was another hot day.  But as it is going to be in the 60's tomorrow I am not complaining.   Jim did turn on the AC this evening so it will be cool for sleeping.  Tomorrow we are going to an Arthritis Seminar in the morning and in the afternoon I am going to therapy to see if I can get rid of this pain in my butt.  When I had my knee surgery my therapist said it was my glut muscle.  We shall see.  Happy Trails.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Inspired By a Sweater

purple flowerThis card was inspired by a design on a sweater that a lady had at church yesterday.  I came right home and stamped the image and colored it but couldn't come up with the other card colors.  This afternoon I went down to my spot and in a matter of a few minutes had the colors I wanted.  Cardstock colors are Hydrangea, Goldrush, and White.  I stamped the image with Indian Corn Blue and went over the petals with Smoky Plum and then used my water color crayons to color the center of the petals.  The stem is New England Ivy.  I went over the center of the flower with  a Indian Corn Blue marker and added some Diamond Stickle.  The ribbon brad is from Karen Foster and as you can see used the Swiss Dots embossing folder with my Cuttlebug. 

My day turned out different than I had planned last night.  I was going to get up this morning and clean the clutter in the living room and dining room.  And then get to work on my checkbook.  I did get the clutter cleaned and dusted the furniture but the checkbook went by the wayside.  On Wednesday it is only supposed to be in the 60's with rain.  Quite a change from our 80's and sun that we have been having.  So I was outside a lot today.  I deadheaded my flowers that needed it and then planted three small pots of morning glories that I bought two weeks ago and forgot about.  I have eggs boiling to make a potato salad tomorrow.  Wednesday we are going to a going away party in the evening but we will be gone all day on Wednesday.  I did this post with Live Writer.  Later. 

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Saturday


My card used papers from It's a Guy Thing plus Colonial White. The stamps are from CTMH and Stamping Up.




Today Jim and I did part of a 75 mile charity walk. The walk is called Gracie's Heart after a 2 month old baby girl who died of a heart condition. Her parents decided to do this walk from Sault Ste. Marie MI to Cheboygan MI. Walkers got donations from friends and family. We walked 4.4 miles from our town to the next. I usually walk 3 miles every other day but this walk about did me in. The first three miles were a piece of cake but then we got out of the trees and the sun was blazing down on us. Some of the group are walking the whole thing. Each day is a 25 mile leg.




It will be quiet at our house over the weekend. Sam has gone to help a friend move into the dorm and Sunday afternoon his girlfriend is moving into her campus apartment so he will be helping her.




Next week will be busy. Wednesday we are going to an arthritis class to see what that is all about and in the afternoon I have a PT appointment and that evening we have a going away party. Jim will golf on Thursday if he doesn't have any pain. Wed. he missed the bottom basement step. Neither one of us thought too much about it but at bedtime he said if was still sore in the morning he wasn't going golfing. I made him go the walk in clinic after breakfast and the long and short of it is that he separated the cartilage from his ribs. He had a reaction to the Tylenol with codeine so is just taking the Motrin prescribed for him.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Last Days of Summer


I spent a good share of the day stamping and I have most of the mess cleaned up. I did several tries before I got the look of this card the way I wanted it. The stamp is by Northwoods. Cardstock is CTMH Outdoor Denim, Orange and Black. The white is from Wal-Mart and the light blue was a piece of scrap that I had. I punched a 5/8 inch circle and cut a slit in the tree line with my xacto knife. The Prisma Colored Pencils I used are Indigo Blue, Perma Violet, Orange and Canary Yellow. I don't know why the card looks like it is leaning forward. Perhaps it is the angle that I took the photo. The card is Outdoor Denim and the white is backed with black. And in the photo they both look the same.


While down in the basement stamping I did manage to do a load of laundry. In the early evening we dropped hubby's car off at Chevy dealer--it overheated the other day.

Monday, August 25, 2008

I Thought Today Would Be A Stamping Day

Thought maybe I could get a few cards stamped but my day didn't turn out that way. Jim and I walked almost 4 miles this morning. We are going to be in a charity walk on Saturday. The entire walk is 75 miles but we are doing 4.4 miles, from our town to the next. When we got home I found out that corn was ready from our local farmer. A friend of mine lives about a block from the farmer and her Mother from Texas is up so thought I would stop to see her. When I mentioned to Jim that I would stop and see Juli and her mother he replied "I'll come with you and maybe we can play cards." By the time we finished it was supper time and we got invited for supper. We got home at 7:45 and just finished getting the corn done. Jim gets the job of getting the kernals off the cob and I boil and bag. Now I am pooped so think I will go to bed and read for awhile.

Friday, August 22, 2008

One For Him...One For Her
















Here are a couple of cards that I made today. They are both ideas from the new Stamping Up catalog. The cardstock is from CTMH and is garden green, buttercup, cocoa and bamboo. The stamp is Stamping Up's Watercolor Coneflower. Ribbon is from Joann's. Button and thread are buttercup from CTMH. I stamped the coneflower in cocoa.






If you are like me there are never enough masculine cards. CTMH cardstock is Barn Red, Indian Cornblue, Bamboo, and Pepperwood. The stamp is Winds of Grace from Stamping UP. Natural hemp is from CTMH.

Thursday I had my final checkup with my orthopedic surgeon on my knee replacements. Everything is good. I have been doing one thing that is not good though. When I get done walking my three miles I stretch by putting my foot to my butt. That is not good for the new knees. September 3 I start therapy because my right glute muscle keeps cramping up. And I am considering surgery on my right thumb but that means I need to pick three months when I can do without full use of my hand. Later.



Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Race




Saturday Jim and I competed in the Frankfort (MI) Port City Run/Walk. We walked it. Ever since our grandkids were in cross country running I always wanted to do that but couldn't because of my bad knees. Now I have two new knees and they work great! The finish line is under the archway. The trail was paved and went through woods and across a swamp by way of a wooden bridge. We are looking forward to the race next year.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Inka Dinka Do


Isn't that what Jimmy Durante used to say? LOL . I was in Ben Franklin last Friday and they had these Inkadinkadoo stamps buy two get one free. Well who could pass up a deal like that besides I got my a couple of punches on my stamp card--ten punches and I get a free stamp. The colors are CTMH Hydrangea and Citrus Leaf. Ink is hydrangea also. The dragonflies are buttons from Joann's. I used CTMH paper piercer with Stamping Up's guide. Then I put a few dew drops here and there.


Yesterday was an icky day here. Drizzly and cool. A good day for staying in the basement and making cards. I made quite a few and I cleaned up my mess between each card. So now I have a nice clean work area.


Today it is still cloudy and cool but at least the sun is trying to shine. And it won't be too hot when I go for my three mile walk. Saturday I am participating in the Frankfort (MI) Port City 5k walk. There will be runners doing it also but I am walking. Last July 24 I had total knee replacement of my left knee, it is so nice to be able to get around and do the things I want to do.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Eagle


Here is another card from the retired CTMH Patriotic Paper Pack. Red ribbon is from JoAnn's (99 cents), the eagle is from CTMH Racoon and Friends. I stamped it in Pepperwood and used the sponge tool from CTMH stamped in Outdoor Denim. For the corners I used Stamping Up's Corner Punch. I think that punch is so neat.


It is kind of a yucky day here. Mostly cloudy and cool but everyonce in awhile the sun will shine. I'm getting my hair cut today. And I should probably tidy up the house so when it gets nice I can be outside. Have some bills to pay so better get with the program.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Not Much Stamping


This card is pretty much a copy of one I saw on Hero Arts. Flowers,brads and dew drops are from various places--CTMH, WalMart, Hobby Lobby & Michaels etc. The flower stamp is from Endless Creations and was stamped in Metallic Champagne from Encore. The Happy Birthday is stamped in CTMH's Pepperwood. Don't know who made the stamp as the logo is extremely tiny.




Today was so humid it just sapped all the energy out of me plus the fact that it was overcast most of the day. At supper time it rained 1 inch in about 30 minutes. It got so dark out we had to turn on the lights. Felt like it was in the middle of winter.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

A Penny Black Tiger


I thought this little tiger so cute for kids cards, but I have also used it for adult cards. The striped paper was a piece of scrap. The orange is an old CTMH B & T. The green backing the tiger is CTMH topiary. To color the tiger I used Marvy Markers in the following colors-orange, lt. green and pink. The little orange acrylic disk is from Joann's. There were several sizes and colors in a pack labeled for Kids Crafts. In our Joann's it was near the check out line.


Think I will go sit on the front deck for awhile. Summer is way too short in Northern Michigan and it looks like it could storm so while the temp is still on the warm side I'll get a glass of ice tea. Later.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Stamping Up Tools


This afternoon my order from Stamping Up came. While I didn't get any stamps I got lots of tools and punches. This card is made from CTMH's Life's Delight paper pack. The bird is Stamping Up. The sentitment is Endless Creations. Brown ribbon is the 99cent ribbon from Joann's. I punched the paper twice so I could use the same size corner. Ink is Pepperwood. And a dewdrop is in the right hand corner. I also used Stamping Up's mat pack to get brads evenly spaced.


Today was a gorgeous day and I spent a good share of it outside. I still have more plants to put into containers.

Inspired by Hero Arts



I have this patriotic paper from CTMH for a long time and could never come up with an idea. Today I was on the Hero Arts website and saw a card made with a strip of paper and paper flowers down the strip. I immediately knew I was going to make a patriotic card. The stamps are from Hero Arts. Now that I have the creative juices flowing I hope to make several more cards from the patriotic set. I used Outdoor Denim to stamp the images. I put those little diamond things on the sparkler ad. Also I dabbed Outdoor Denim on the card stock with CTMH's black stubble brush.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Is It Dinner Time?


Happy 4th I tried to post the other day but blogger wouldn't let me and now I am just getting back to it. This evening we are going to the parade in town. Sam, our grandson, is a box of french fries on the Wendy's float. Now that we finally have some nice summer weather I have been outside a lot. This afternoon I transplanted a cactus we got in Colorado. Our son put it in a pail so we wouldn't get stuck. I wore my good leather workgloves and put it into a terra cotta pot.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

No More Excuses




My pics tonight are not about cards but about our bird familes. The first photo shows a bird house that I have used as a decoration for years. I think that I won the bird house at some function I attended. I had it in the backyard for three or four years and last year I moved it to the front yard. This year a chickadee has moved in and several times a day I see her flying in and out to feed her brood. The second photo is on our back deck. I don't know what kind of birds they are as we never see the mom sitting on the nest. Every day we usually make some noise until the baby birds pop their necks up with the mouths wide open. The babies are quite large so they could be robins. Tomorrow I am going to go to my stamping spot and make a card. One of my friends at church is having an anniversary July 1 and we are having a meeting at church Monday night so I can give it to her then. The pics are in reverse order. I will have to figure out how to post so that the first pic I post will stay the first post.
And another weird thing Kathi had posted a comment to my last two posts and they didn't show up until I went to my blog and allowed them. But I have my settings set to allow comments. Oh well. Thanks for your comments Kathi.


Also I have been reading a series of books by Jennifer Chaiverini called the Elm Creek Quilt Novels. They are extremely interesting and when I pick one up can't put it down. My friend (a different one than the anniversary friend) is buying the series and doesn't have any more at the moment.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It's Been Awhile


Just looked at the calendar and it has been two weeks since I posted. Just been busy planting flowers and my hanging plants and then when night comes I just want to be in bed. Today I was outside a good share of the day but it was warm and sunny. I need to start tackling the weeds.


My card I made (the first in two weeks also) is for my son and daughter in law. They live on the top of a 7,300 foot mountain and have a great view of the Sangre De Christo Mountains in Southern Colorado.


Cardstock used is Ponderosa Pine, Desert Sand and Indian Corn Blue. Stamps are Raccoon and Friends from CTMH and Art Impressions. Ribbon is from JoAnn's (the 99 cent spools). Stamp pads are Pepperwood and Ponderosa Pine. To make the snow on the mountain I used CTMH's Fun Flock. The elk is raised with pop dots.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Inspired by Kathi


This card was inspired by a card that Kathi had on her blog about the first of June. I used It's A Guy Thing for the paper. Ink was CTMH New England Ivy and Staz On Black. I only have one more graduation card to make and then I will be done. The graduation dog is Penny Black and the sentiment is from Hero Arts.


It seems that this time of year there is never enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to be done. Today I washed undies out of neccessity (I was down to my last set today). Maybe tomorrow I can spend the day in the basement and get caught up on the laundry and get my craft area straightened up and make some cards. I have all my flowers planted but I need more. I keep telling Jim that you can never have eonugh flowers. I do mostly perennials but I do like splashes of color so make hanging baskets and pots. I also buy some hanging baskets already done if they are unique.
I am pretty proud of myself tonight. I figured out how to do a link. I was looking in all the wrong places. LOL

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

A Better Photo


Here is a better pic of the card I made and posted on Monday. Yesterday I was so tired just dragged butt all day. Today is a much better day and I will get something done.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Thinking Outside The Box.


We were gone most of the day today. Jim had to go to the dermatologist 75 miles south of here. Then I needed groceries at Wal-Mart. He got a scolding from the dr because while in Colorado he got the back of his neck sunburned and it peeled.


We picked up our mail and I sorted it as we went down the road. 99 percent of it was junk. There were two graduation invites that I missed. One I could have gone to as it was last night.


I made this card for one of the graduates from the Boom Di Ada collection. The hat pin is from JoAnn's and I put a graduation brad from The Paper Company Studio through it. I embossed the sentiment with detail gold. The sentiment is CTMH's For Every Occasion.